


Birthday Cake Bake Off

by may10baby



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Birthday, Birthday Cake, Korean Keith (Voltron), Lance Birthday 2017, M/M, Shiro can't cook in this one either, and Keith has been lowkey pining for Lance for 'ages' but has the emotional range of a toaster, and he's also very shy, go easy on him Lance, in which things aren't currently crazy and my children can be happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 06:51:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11641233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/may10baby/pseuds/may10baby
Summary: Lance gets a birthday cake made by his four friends. Except it's only three tiers high? He has a feeling that Keith wouldn't go so far as to bake him a cake for his birthday, but the video Allura and Coran show him might just prove him wrong.





	Birthday Cake Bake Off

**Author's Note:**

> A oneshot for Lance's Birthday 2017! Happy Birthday to everyone's favorite sharpshooter ;P

Lance expected the basics from his friends around his birthday. Some snacks from Hunk, help with his college homework from Pidge, maybe a free meal courtesy of Shiro and, if he was lucky, a $5 iTunes gift card from Keith. He didn’t even own an iPod, but it was the thought that counted, right?

Yeah, no. Fuck Keith.

The birthday cake had been a huge surprise, three tiers, one baked and decorated by each of his friends (with the exception of _one_ of them (guess _who_ didn’t join in the fun)) just for him. He could immediately tell who decorated which parts, and was prepared to hug each of them accordingly, but Allura and Coran had apparently recorded the entire bakeoff for Lance to see first. They sat Lance down in front of a TV and loaded up the video. Lance took one look at the horrified embarrassment on his friends’ faces (“Allura you said that video was going to be _private!_ ”) and he was ready.

 _So_ completely ready.

The video had an abrupt start, and it was very _Cloverfield-_ esk, including the shaky camera. He recognized Allura’s pristine white kitchen, the island in the middle full of baking supplies. His friends were taking turns washing their hands at the sink and being handed aprons. Everyone looked at said aprons dubiously for a minute, except for Keith, who looked like he was about ready to pour lighter fluid on his and burn a hole in Allura’s floor. Shiro turned to display the front of the apron to the camera, which had Lance’s face screen-printed on it.

Lance shot Allura an amused smirk, earning a grin in return.

“ _Are we supposed to wear these?_ ” Shiro asked hesitantly on the video.

“ _Of course!_ ” Coran spoke up from behind the camera. “ _You all are baking a tier of Lance’s birthday cake! Four tiers in total, everyone makes one for him!_ ”

Lance blinked at Coran’s words, glancing over at said cake. There were only three tiers. The bottom was obviously Hunk, ringed in whirls of frosting, with Lance’s name and ‘Happy Birthday!” written out in fancy script. The middle tier was a chocolate cake, and was covered in rainbow sprinkles. Lance knew that was Pidge’s cake simply because the top tier cake was decorated in little crooked stars, clearly Shiro’s work. It was obvious who had clearly decided _not_ to bake him a cake, but Lance quelled that sad thought, looking to the screen and snorting out a laugh.

The different expressions on his friends faces were worth it. Pidge looked like they were going to walk off the camera. Shiro looked like he’d recently killed someone and they were about to dig up the body. Keith was still eyeing his apron like it had insulted him. Hunk…

Hunk looked like Coran had just told him he’d won the lottery.

“ _OH MAN!_ ” Hunk yelled, bouncing up and down. “ _BAKE OFF! When do we start?_ ” He looked at everyone excitedly.

Lance laughed as his other friends gave Hunk a thorough side eye.

“ _Start now!_ ” Coran cheered, and immediately Hunk threw on his apron and went to work, measuring out cups of flour and snagging bowls. Pidge was on their phone, frowning. “ _Now, now, Pidge! Now’s not the time to dally!_ ”

“ _I’m not ‘dally’ing._ ” Pidge said dryly, making ‘air quotes’ with their fingers. “ _I’m googling a recipe since I haven’t baked a cake since I was like eight years old._ ” They muttered, flicking their finger over their screen. They also put on an apron, because why not, before grabbing the flour from Hunk. Shiro put on his apron, and proceeded to low key panic. Lance could tell by the way he looked between the camera, Hunk and Pidge. He then looked to Keith, who was still eyeing his own apron.

Lance rolled his eyes at that. Like it was honestly such a big deal?

Shiro seemed to be at loss, looking like a scared bunny as Pidge slid the flour his way. He took the flour regardless, nearly knocking it over in the process. It was actually really endearing to watch. Shiro could pilot a jet in close formation with four others without breaking a sweat, but throw him in a dessert contest and he was toast. Keith finally moved...away from the island.

Lance frowned at that, crossing his arms over his chest. He knew it. Keith was bailing out. He watched as Keith took a moment to tug off his jacket and throw it off to the side, before pulling on the apron, much to Lance’s surprise.

“ _Allura, led me a hair tie?_ ” Keith asked, catching the pink hair tie that Allura tossed at him from off screen, pulling back his mullet into a relatively tame ponytail before rewashing his hands and grabbing the flour to measure out cups.

Lance looked over at Keith now, who was leaning against Lance’s wall, standard frown present on his face. Their eyes met briefly before Keith looked away quickly, as if annoyed with him. Lance pouted, turning back to the video.

“ _What kind of cake is everyone making?_ ” Allura asked, stepping back into view. She peeked into each of their bowls curiously, starting with Hunk.

“ _Tres leche._ ” Hunk said with a wide grin. “ _It’s like a milk cake, and since we’re probably going to see the standard vanilla vs chocolate face off, I want Lance to have a different cake to go with it._ ” Hunk added, whisking together his dry ingredients easily. Allura hummed stepping over to Pidge next.

“ _And what about you Pidge?_ ” She asked curiously.

“ _Chocolate._ ” Pidge answered easily, adding sugar into their bowl. “ _Because if Lance doesn’t want it, I’ll eat it_ .” They shrugged at the look Allura sent them. “ _I’m just saying._ ” Lance couldn’t blame them. Pidge was nothing if not practical with food.

Allura stepped over to Shiro next.

“ _And Shiro?_ ”

“ _Vanilla...I guess?_ ” Shiro managed, reading the back of the vanilla extract bottle as if it was going to give him answers. “ _I was never good at baking when I was younger, so…_ ” He trailed off when Keith barked out a laugh.

“ _Understatement of the year._ ” Keith said, sending Shiro a grin. He was actually taking the time to sift the flour into his mixing bowl.

Lance had to admit, Keith was actually making an effort. What had happened to his cake then? Had he just... _had he just taken it home and eaten it himself?!_ The audacity! Lance set Keith a scowl, earning a confused look in return.

“ _Decade._ ” Shiro corrected easily on the video.

Lance glanced over to his right, where Shiro currently had his face in his hands. Apparently Shiro was a shit baker. Lance was almost nervous to try his cake. He watched Shiro pour the entire bottle of vanilla extract to his bowl of dry ingredients and swallowed. Okay, now he was _extremely_ nervous.

“ _What about you, Keith?_ ” Allura asked curiously, watching him sift his ingredients. Keith paused, his cheeks growing dark.

“ _It’s a Korean cake. My mom and I used to make it for my birthday when I was little._ ” He said quietly. This was met with a round of silence from the kitchen.

Lance looked over to Keith again, swallowing the lump in his chest. Keith was currently looking at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in the room. Okay, maybe Keith wasn’t a complete and total jerk.

“ _I’m sure it’ll taste great._ ” Allura finally said.

Lance turned back to the video, seeing the gentle smile on Keith’s face as he focused back on cooking. Okay, maybe Keith could be cute when he wanted to be, but that still didn’t explain where Lance's cake had gone.

Hunk was currently showing off his egg cracking skills as he cracked them into a custard dish, separate from his wet ingredients bowl. He whined when Pidge snatched the eggs away from him, hastily dumping them in their bowl.

“ _Hey! That’s cheating!_ ” Hunk whined, pausing to point at Pidge accusingly. Pidge shrugged.

“ _I didn’t hear any rules besides to bake Lance a cake, right Coran?_ ” Pidge said with a smile.

“ _Right!_ ” Coran agreed, earning a look of disbelief from Hunk. Hunk continued speed cracking eggs, grumbling to himself. Pidge was silently gloating, even as they struggled to mix their ingredients in properly. Shiro was currently adding in two eggs, which looked okay until he fumbled and dropped half an eggshell in as well. Shiro mumbled in embarrassment as he dug the shell out nervously. Keith was clearly in the mood to sift everything, before he took the time to crack some eggs as well, separating the egg and yolk and dropping them into different bowls.

Lance had to admit that his friends were taking this bakeoff seriously. Whether it was out of affection for him or everyone’s borderline (or in Keith’s case _entirely_ ) vicious competitive streak he wasn’t sure.

Hunk brought out his baking dish first, lining the insides with butter and pouring his batter into the pan. He turned to put the batter bowl into the sink, only for Coran to stop him.

“ _Wait! We need to taste test the batters while the cakes are baking!_ ” He crowed.

“ _Oh no..._ ” Shiro whimpered, looking like he was pouring his life’s regrets into his bake dish. Pidge was dumping a thick chocolaty mass into theirs, and Lance was only slightly intimidated in comparison to Shiro’s questionably grey batter. Keith’s batter looked pristine and white, which was surprising. Lance had never taken him for a cook. Keith poured this into his own mold as well, looking mildly bored as Allura took the time to collect everyone’s tins and slide them into the oven.

“ _Okay!_ ” Coran cheered, stepping closer to show the insides of everyone’s batter dishes to the camera audience. Hunk’s was caramel-colored and Lance wished they saved some for him. Everyone took a moment to dip a spoon into his leftover batter.

“ _Milky._ ” Keith noted, earning a dry look from everyone. “ _What? I’m just saying._ ” He shrugged. The overall reaction to Hunk’s cake was positive, and he beamed at the camera. Pidge’s cake was apparently a chocolate overload, judging by the way everyone but Pidge and Allura nearly choked.

“ _I don’t think it tastes that bad._ ” Allura noted, humming thoughtfully. “ _Text me the recipe Pidge._ ”

“ _Alright, but I doubled the amount of chocolate_.” They told her, taking another spoonful of the batter. Shiro looked mildly concerned.

“ _Pidge if you eat like that constantly you’re going to have diabetes in your thirties._ ” He pointed out. Pidge rolled their eyes.

“ _Not if your baking kills me first._ ” They replied back dryly. Shiro shut his mouth at that, looking at his batter in dismay. “ _I was joking, Shiro. I’m sure it’s...okay._ ” Pidge managed, hesitantly dipping their spoon in, before offering it to Hunk. “ _Try it, Hunk. You’re the food wizard._ ”

“ _Uh, well, you see…_ ” Hunk trailed off nervously with a laugh. “ _We really should test it out against someone with a better baseline. Someone who has known Shiro for years and-_ ”

“ _I’m allergic to Shiro’s cooking._ ” Keith deadpanned, arms crossed over his chest. Everyone on camera paused uneasily before looking at the camera. “ _Hey, Coran…_ ” Keith began thoughtfully. “ _You should try it._ ”

“ _Oh! Well, err...you see…_ ” The camera shifted nervously as Coran took a step back.

“ _Come on, Coran. It’s for Lance’s birthday._ ” Keith’s grin was wicked. “ _You gotta partake._ ”

“ _It’s fine, we can burn it in the backyard like last time._ ” Shiro muttered, his cheeks red. He firmly pushed the bowl away from the group. “ _Maybe the heat helped the actual cake though?_ ” Shiro suggested hopefully. Apparently no one in the room had the heart to tell him that’s not how it works. Instead, Allura clapped her hands together.

“ _Alright, let’s clean this up so we can start making the icing!_ ” She said cheerfully. There was a brief cut in the video, and the next scene was the same area, only reasonably cleaned up and now covered in a plethora of decorating tools and containers of frosting.

“ _Alright, let’s pull them out of the oven!_ ” Hunk said, juggling oven mitts as he pulled the pans out one by one. “ _Here’s mine, and Pidge’s and Keith’s and-oh my god Shiro, why is this still bubbling?_ ” Hunk said, setting Shiro’s pan down on the table for closer inspection.

Lance could see the bubbling, grey nature of the batter roasting away in Shiro’s pan. He looked over to see that Shiro was currently doing his best impression of a turtle.

“ _What did you put in it?_ ” Keith asked, looking genuinely concerned. Shiro paused, running his hand through his forelock and frowning.

“ _That usual stuff? Flour, sugar, vanilla, eggs, baking salt…_ ” Shiro counted off on his fingers, looking like a kicked puppy.

“ _Baking salt? Do you mean baking powder or baking soda?_ ” Keith asked warily. Shiro looked at him in confusion.

“ _Is there actually a difference?_ ” He asked, confused. Keith exhaled slowly, sending Shiro a look.

“ _A bit._ ” He said, eyeing the baking tin with distaste. “ _We’re going to have to scrap it._ ” He added. Shiro nodded, as if he’d already accepted his fate. Hunk sent them a worried look.

“ _But Lance’s cake, how is Shiro-_ ”

“ _Shiro can decorate mine._ ” Keith answered easily, nudging his cake over to Shiro’s side of the table. It was soft and fluffy, sitting on it’s plate like a cloud. Shiro turned to look at him.

“ _Keith…_ ” Shiro said slowly, his gaze knowing.

“ _It’s fine. I’m shit at decorating cakes._ ” Keith answered smoothly, leaning back against the kitchen sink and crossing his arms over his chest. “ _Knock yourself out._ ” Shiro sent him a look, before sighing and smiling.

“ _And I’m supposed to be any better? Come over here and help me out at least._ ” He replied, motioning Keith closer. Keith grumbled, stepping closer and watching as Shiro began pawing through ingredients, before launching into a long list of instructions on how to properly make frosting.

Lance kind of zoned out after that, feeling guilty. He had assumed that Keith had bailed on making him a cake like an asshole, but really he’d been the most generous of their team. He climbed out of his chair, much to everyone’s surprise, making his way over to Keith.

“Hey man,” Lance greeted, sliding up next to him, “what you did for Shiro...and me. It was really sweet. Thanks.” He added as an afterthought. Keith looked at him, before looking at everyone else in the room who was listening in. He straightened up awkwardly, before turning to leave the room. Lance frowned, following after him. “Hey! I’m just trying to be nice, Keith! _Keith!_ ” He followed him as Keith rounded the corner for the hallway. He stumbled to a stop, nearly crashing the very person he was chasing. Keith was facing him, his gaze heated. He reached up, grabbing onto Lance’s chin and yanking him in for a kiss. Lance blanched at that, too stunned to move away when Keith released his grip.

Lance sputtered when Keith took a step back. His face was as red as Lance’s felt, and Keith quickly looked away.

“Happy Birthday.” Keith mumbled before turning and making his way to the door. Lance reached out, catching his wrist. When Keith shot him a surprised look, Lance could see a fleeting moment of vulnerability in his eyes. Lance tightened his grip on Keith’s wrist, sending him a grin.

“You’re leaving that quick? We’ve still gotta eat the cake, genius. And open my presents!” He added excitedly, tugging Keith back towards him. Confusion was evident on Keith’s face.

“But, I thought…” He began, before trailing off. Lance snorted.

“You thought? That’s new.” He badgered. Keith’s gaze sharpened, and Lance leaned down to kiss him again on the lips. When he pulled away Keith looked dazed. _Oh_ , now he had a new weapon to use against his...rival? Friend? _Very_ attractive friend? “Take me out to dinner sometime and maybe I’ll kiss you again.” Lance told him, turning to walk back towards the party. “But not today. Today is my birthday and you’re going to celebrate with _me_.” He said, his hand still firmly gripping Keith’s wrist.

**Author's Note:**

> Shy Keith is one of my favorite Keiths. Hope you guys enjoyed the fic! It's my first time writing a fic that's mainly one character reacting to a video they're watching, so I hope it wasn't too confusing to keep up with!
> 
> Leave a comment! I love them!


End file.
